But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, with men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26)
We are living in perilous times. Many things are happening on the global stage that is very frightening to someone with no understanding. But I want to focus off the world scene to the personal. Many trials and troubles are falling upon us in our own personal lives. Jesus said all these things must happen, but the end is not yet. I believe there is a key we can use, against what Satan will throw at us in these last days.
The bible says that men’s hearts will fail them for fear (Luke 21:26). I see Satan throwing one of his greatest weapons, fear. This tool is already at work when you look at the news and see many committing suicide over the economic situation. Fear causes unbelief, and when unbelief has set in, we cannot receive anything from God. I think when we as Christians fear and are afraid, we are basically saying to God, “I don’t think you are big and strong enough to help me in this problem”. It is no wonder God hates unbelief and fear, it slaps him in the face with, “you’re not big enough” and “you don’t have enough power”. Are you guilty of this?
Here is the key; we don’t need another new revelation or dream, we need a deeper understanding of who Jesus is! If we could see and fully understand just how big and powerful God is, we would not worry about if we are going to die in the wilderness! We don’t fear what the doctor’s prognosis is. We won’t worry where our next meal is coming from if we have no money, for we understand just how big and powerful He is! Paul never got over the Damascus road. When he gained an understanding of who Jesus was that day, it drove him to witness and preach the rest of his life. When Isaiah saw his vision of the Lord, and his robe filling the temple, his life and ministry was forever changed.
Beloved, I encourage you today to seek the face of God. Ask him for a deeper understanding and greater revelation of Jesus Christ. And I promise you, all your fear and unbelief will melt away at the understanding of just how powerful he is. He holds all things in his hands. All power in heaven and earth are at his disposal. By his word the universe was created, and held in position. He has one foot on Satan’s neck and the other holding up the keys to death and hell and says “you can live in joy and peace by my power!” Grab a hold of this understanding today, and be forever changed from a crippled mind of fear!
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
PRESERVED FOR HIS GLORY
And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (2 Timothy 4:18)
Our devotions lately have been centered on the enemy of our soul, Satan. And our goal has been to make you aware of the war going on for you and your family, and also to not be ignorant of his devices. But I want to interject praise to God this morning for a special promise given to us in this battle.
Recently, my son was involved in a car accident. When the phone call first came telling me what happened, my first reaction was one of panic. Was he ok? Was he hurt badly? As I rushed to the hospital my mind was flooded with such thoughts. But suddenly my thoughts changed, I believe by the Holy Spirit, to thinking of being in the protective hand of God. I began to realize an important truth; even with understanding Satan’s devices, even being aware of a war going on; it would be of no use without having the protective hand of God in your life!
Being born again in the kingdom of God not only prepares our soul for the eternity of heaven, but his presence surrounds us and protects us on our journey there. Think about this; I wonder how many times God has protected you when you didn’t even know it! It would stagger the mind to know when he has protected you from a murder, a car wreck, any situation that would have killed you without the protection of his presence. Sunday morning, you should worship God openly for this precious gift.
I believe as the end draws near, and as trouble and persecution rise to a level never seen on this earth before, if we are not staying in his protective presence, we will not be able to stand. There will be no option. What is coming the bible says will deceive the very elect (his children) if it were possible. Without staying in his presence, we will not make it.
Beloved, I plead with you today, make sure you are in god’s presence and protected by his power. The scripture today gives us great faith and a promise from God he will deliver us thru the evil Satan is unleashing these days. God doesn’t promise us he will never let us go thru trouble, but he does promise to be with us and deliver us from every evil work. He will be with us and help us, if we are living in him.
Our devotions lately have been centered on the enemy of our soul, Satan. And our goal has been to make you aware of the war going on for you and your family, and also to not be ignorant of his devices. But I want to interject praise to God this morning for a special promise given to us in this battle.
Recently, my son was involved in a car accident. When the phone call first came telling me what happened, my first reaction was one of panic. Was he ok? Was he hurt badly? As I rushed to the hospital my mind was flooded with such thoughts. But suddenly my thoughts changed, I believe by the Holy Spirit, to thinking of being in the protective hand of God. I began to realize an important truth; even with understanding Satan’s devices, even being aware of a war going on; it would be of no use without having the protective hand of God in your life!
Being born again in the kingdom of God not only prepares our soul for the eternity of heaven, but his presence surrounds us and protects us on our journey there. Think about this; I wonder how many times God has protected you when you didn’t even know it! It would stagger the mind to know when he has protected you from a murder, a car wreck, any situation that would have killed you without the protection of his presence. Sunday morning, you should worship God openly for this precious gift.
I believe as the end draws near, and as trouble and persecution rise to a level never seen on this earth before, if we are not staying in his protective presence, we will not be able to stand. There will be no option. What is coming the bible says will deceive the very elect (his children) if it were possible. Without staying in his presence, we will not make it.
Beloved, I plead with you today, make sure you are in god’s presence and protected by his power. The scripture today gives us great faith and a promise from God he will deliver us thru the evil Satan is unleashing these days. God doesn’t promise us he will never let us go thru trouble, but he does promise to be with us and deliver us from every evil work. He will be with us and help us, if we are living in him.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
"Loose Lips Sink Ships" - Turning your words into Weapons
Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. - Proverbs 18:21
In the previous devotional entitled "There's a Devil Loose", our goal was to make sure our readers understand that we are at war and not to "underestimate" the enemy, namely Satan. Indeed, Satan is a more powerful being than we are as individuals. Without the Power of God, we are no match for him. However, it is also our desire to insure you do not "overestimate" Satan as well.
Satan has no real power(i.e. the power to create, restore, and transform). In fact, in Matthew 28:18, Jesus stated, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth"; so that leaves none for the devil. The only power Satan has is the power to imitate and deceive; and, the only weapons Satan can use against you are the ones YOU give him.
There is a popular yet incorrect belief that Satan can read your mind. This is an absolute LIE! Satan CAN NOT read your mind. However, what Satan can and does do is listen very well. When we speak words of doubt, fear, and unbelief, Satan uses these very words against us. Many believers are tempted or tested beyond thier ability to resist simply because they go about speaking and stating the very things they fear the most - what they dread might happen, worries, weaknesses, etc. If you are one to go about speaking negative, fearful things that could cause your faith to fail; you are equiping the enemy with the very weapons he needs and will use to bring this to pass.
Matthew 10:16 states, "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." Beloved, you must understand that although Satan has been rendered powerless by the death and ressurection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, he still has the ability to take our words and use them for his benefit. You must learn to speak FAITH! This is one of the devices that we cannot be ignorant of if we are to wage a successful war against the Devil and make it home to Heaven.
In the previous devotional entitled "There's a Devil Loose", our goal was to make sure our readers understand that we are at war and not to "underestimate" the enemy, namely Satan. Indeed, Satan is a more powerful being than we are as individuals. Without the Power of God, we are no match for him. However, it is also our desire to insure you do not "overestimate" Satan as well.
Satan has no real power(i.e. the power to create, restore, and transform). In fact, in Matthew 28:18, Jesus stated, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth"; so that leaves none for the devil. The only power Satan has is the power to imitate and deceive; and, the only weapons Satan can use against you are the ones YOU give him.
There is a popular yet incorrect belief that Satan can read your mind. This is an absolute LIE! Satan CAN NOT read your mind. However, what Satan can and does do is listen very well. When we speak words of doubt, fear, and unbelief, Satan uses these very words against us. Many believers are tempted or tested beyond thier ability to resist simply because they go about speaking and stating the very things they fear the most - what they dread might happen, worries, weaknesses, etc. If you are one to go about speaking negative, fearful things that could cause your faith to fail; you are equiping the enemy with the very weapons he needs and will use to bring this to pass.
Matthew 10:16 states, "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." Beloved, you must understand that although Satan has been rendered powerless by the death and ressurection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, he still has the ability to take our words and use them for his benefit. You must learn to speak FAITH! This is one of the devices that we cannot be ignorant of if we are to wage a successful war against the Devil and make it home to Heaven.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
THERE'S A DEVIL LOOSE
“Be Sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” (1 Peter 5:8)
This is war!!
In case you haven’t realized today, you are in a battle, as real as if this was 1941, and you were in the front lines in Germany. This battle has a real enemy and real casualties. You can look around in the world and see that a battle is raging, and the winner takes all. 10,000 children will commit suicide this year. 42 million babies will be murdered, in the name of abortion, this year. Almost 50 percent of Americans today believe God is not important anymore and don’t care anything about him. We are at war.
Our enemy is not the person sitting next to us on Sunday morning, he is a being that hates you with every fiber of his soul, and his name is Satan. Our passage of scripture today deals with the fact he is a roaring lion, walking about, looking for someone to kill, to steal, and to destroy. Did you get that? He is out to kill you, destroy you and your family and everything you have. A lion in the wilderness will not pounce on his prey the moment he sees him, he will pace, and walk around looking for the best way, the weakest defended spot, and then he will target and attack with such veracity there is nothing left of his opponent that is recognizable.
This is the same way Satan works on you, child of God. He studies you, learns your weakness, your pet sin that you won’t even tell God about, and then he forms a plan to destroy you. So many Christians have fallen, so many Pastors have shipwrecked, falling into scandalous sex affairs and satanic traps because of this; WE DON’T TAKE SATAN AND THIS WAR SERIOUS! If we did, we would be in prayer more, reading our word more, seeking the face of God like our life depended on it, and guess what; it does! Our scripture gives us some keys to fight Satan, and not fall in his traps.
Be Sober – take this war serious, your life does depend on it. Pray and read God’s word. Seek his face now. We don’t have to be ignorant of Satan’s devices.
Be vigilant - walk around with eyes full of the spirit of God, looking for trouble, be alert at all times, if you were walking around in Germany in 1941, you would be!
Beloved, we are without excuse, we have been warned. Jesus has told us the devil is real. It doesn’t matter to Satan whether your pastor and church don’t believe in him; he is real and will destroy you. Jesus has given us weapons of warfare to fight. We can defeat Satan, destroy his plans, and stop his traps in our church and family. But you must become serious about this. This war is 24/7 and he is playing for keeps. Get in the presence of God today; read his word, you don’t have to wait until it is too late, to realize the devil is loose. Your only protection is God. You better make sure you stay in his presence everyday. Your life depends on it.
This is war!!
In case you haven’t realized today, you are in a battle, as real as if this was 1941, and you were in the front lines in Germany. This battle has a real enemy and real casualties. You can look around in the world and see that a battle is raging, and the winner takes all. 10,000 children will commit suicide this year. 42 million babies will be murdered, in the name of abortion, this year. Almost 50 percent of Americans today believe God is not important anymore and don’t care anything about him. We are at war.
Our enemy is not the person sitting next to us on Sunday morning, he is a being that hates you with every fiber of his soul, and his name is Satan. Our passage of scripture today deals with the fact he is a roaring lion, walking about, looking for someone to kill, to steal, and to destroy. Did you get that? He is out to kill you, destroy you and your family and everything you have. A lion in the wilderness will not pounce on his prey the moment he sees him, he will pace, and walk around looking for the best way, the weakest defended spot, and then he will target and attack with such veracity there is nothing left of his opponent that is recognizable.
This is the same way Satan works on you, child of God. He studies you, learns your weakness, your pet sin that you won’t even tell God about, and then he forms a plan to destroy you. So many Christians have fallen, so many Pastors have shipwrecked, falling into scandalous sex affairs and satanic traps because of this; WE DON’T TAKE SATAN AND THIS WAR SERIOUS! If we did, we would be in prayer more, reading our word more, seeking the face of God like our life depended on it, and guess what; it does! Our scripture gives us some keys to fight Satan, and not fall in his traps.
Be Sober – take this war serious, your life does depend on it. Pray and read God’s word. Seek his face now. We don’t have to be ignorant of Satan’s devices.
Be vigilant - walk around with eyes full of the spirit of God, looking for trouble, be alert at all times, if you were walking around in Germany in 1941, you would be!
Beloved, we are without excuse, we have been warned. Jesus has told us the devil is real. It doesn’t matter to Satan whether your pastor and church don’t believe in him; he is real and will destroy you. Jesus has given us weapons of warfare to fight. We can defeat Satan, destroy his plans, and stop his traps in our church and family. But you must become serious about this. This war is 24/7 and he is playing for keeps. Get in the presence of God today; read his word, you don’t have to wait until it is too late, to realize the devil is loose. Your only protection is God. You better make sure you stay in his presence everyday. Your life depends on it.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
YOU BETTER BE LOOKING UP!
“Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.” (Luke 21:26)
Many things are happening in the world scene right now. Diseases, new and old, are beginning to run wild all over the planet. Crime and suicide are at their highest levels ever. Earthquakes, new volcanoes, and the ever worsening troubled economy. It seems as though our leaders are scrambling for some hope, or answer to fix it all. To have one’s eyes on all these events will make one very depressed and fearful
Even on the church scene, there are the symptoms of the same chaos and trouble. Pastors are leaving churches, over being caught in adulterous affairs. Church shootings are on the rise. And it seems the leaders here are scratching their heads in fear and doubt. But if you are a praying, bible reading child of God, these things are not a question mark to you.
Jesus warned us as these things came upon the earth, not to be troubled or afraid. He did warn us how to handle the situation. The verse of scripture today deals with hearts failing in fear of watching what is and will happen as Jesus draws closer to his return. This means all that get caught up looking at what is going on will only be depressed, afraid and eventually shipwrecked in their faith. The only way to steer clear of fear and worry is this; look up!
He told us; “look up and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28). You must not focus on what is going on, but WHO is coming. You must keep your eyes fixed on the sky, waiting and anticipating that this could be the day. Jesus promised he would return, he would come and get his faithful children. He will do what he promised! Keep your eyes on the skies today beloved, and don’t take them off anymore. The world will only get worse, but that only means we are just about ready to hear that trumpet blast! Start looking today, he is coming soon!
Many things are happening in the world scene right now. Diseases, new and old, are beginning to run wild all over the planet. Crime and suicide are at their highest levels ever. Earthquakes, new volcanoes, and the ever worsening troubled economy. It seems as though our leaders are scrambling for some hope, or answer to fix it all. To have one’s eyes on all these events will make one very depressed and fearful
Even on the church scene, there are the symptoms of the same chaos and trouble. Pastors are leaving churches, over being caught in adulterous affairs. Church shootings are on the rise. And it seems the leaders here are scratching their heads in fear and doubt. But if you are a praying, bible reading child of God, these things are not a question mark to you.
Jesus warned us as these things came upon the earth, not to be troubled or afraid. He did warn us how to handle the situation. The verse of scripture today deals with hearts failing in fear of watching what is and will happen as Jesus draws closer to his return. This means all that get caught up looking at what is going on will only be depressed, afraid and eventually shipwrecked in their faith. The only way to steer clear of fear and worry is this; look up!
He told us; “look up and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28). You must not focus on what is going on, but WHO is coming. You must keep your eyes fixed on the sky, waiting and anticipating that this could be the day. Jesus promised he would return, he would come and get his faithful children. He will do what he promised! Keep your eyes on the skies today beloved, and don’t take them off anymore. The world will only get worse, but that only means we are just about ready to hear that trumpet blast! Start looking today, he is coming soon!
Monday, March 30, 2009
WHAT IF STEPHEN HAD NEVER BEEN BORN?
And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. (Acts 6:8)
Do you ever stop to think much about Stephen? He is mentioned only one time in the Bible, and his one act of obedience cost him his life. If you are familiar with the story, you know he was a table waiter, that’s all. And his one chance to get to preach in the Holy Ghost caused him to be dragged to the end of town and be stoned to death. Stephen’s moment in time was very small and insignificant some would say. But if it had not been for Stephen, 2/3rds of the New Testament would not have been written!
You see, Stephen’s preaching and subsequent execution was witnessed by a certain man, who would hold the coats of the ones who would stone him to death, Saul of Tarsus. We know him better as the Apostle Paul! Watching Stephen’s stand for Jesus, Saul would go on to finally meet Jesus for himself on the Damascus road, but what if Stephen had not been there? What if he had never been there to be a witness in front of Paul? What shape would we be in today?
I pray you receive this in your spirit today. It is not the ones who have the big time ministry in front of the cameras, not the ones who preach to thousands or sing to millions on the radio that are the most important! These people are the final link in the chain of a plan that belongs to God. It is the ones, the unsung heroes, the ones like Stephen, that to me are the most people in God’s plan.
Without Stephen’s witness, we would not have a Paul, without Esther’s small act of obedience; the nation of Israel would not be here today! If it wasn’t for a suit tailor named J D Prevatt leading a young boy to Christ at the altar, we would not have had a preacher by the name of Billy Graham.
You think because you are not leading thousands, singing to millions, working in some big time ministry that you are not important, WRONG!
It is the Stephens, the J D Prevatts, the people that obey God’s call on their life, that we may never know down here, that produces the greatest warriors, the powerful ministries. And without these people, these ministries and these warriors for God would have never been born! No man or woman lives and dies unto their self; you effect a change in people all around you, even when you don’t know it. One of the greatest things I love about Jesus’ kingdom is this; one person CAN make a difference!
The reason you are fought by the enemy, the reason strange and hard trials happen to you, is because Satan knows you can make a difference in this world.
He knows if you get this in your heart, you would be a danger to the kingdom of Hell. I encourage you, lift up your head and raise your hands in worship to God! You, and what you can do for God, are important! Your obedience might be the reason the next Billy Graham or Apostle Paul rises up! It doesn’t matter that everybody doesn’t know your name, the God of heaven does. And he has trusted you with his greatest, most important work! Every time you witness, pray, fast and obey God YOU make a difference! Be encouraged child of God, he loves you, and you are important. You don’t even know how much you are!
Do you ever stop to think much about Stephen? He is mentioned only one time in the Bible, and his one act of obedience cost him his life. If you are familiar with the story, you know he was a table waiter, that’s all. And his one chance to get to preach in the Holy Ghost caused him to be dragged to the end of town and be stoned to death. Stephen’s moment in time was very small and insignificant some would say. But if it had not been for Stephen, 2/3rds of the New Testament would not have been written!
You see, Stephen’s preaching and subsequent execution was witnessed by a certain man, who would hold the coats of the ones who would stone him to death, Saul of Tarsus. We know him better as the Apostle Paul! Watching Stephen’s stand for Jesus, Saul would go on to finally meet Jesus for himself on the Damascus road, but what if Stephen had not been there? What if he had never been there to be a witness in front of Paul? What shape would we be in today?
I pray you receive this in your spirit today. It is not the ones who have the big time ministry in front of the cameras, not the ones who preach to thousands or sing to millions on the radio that are the most important! These people are the final link in the chain of a plan that belongs to God. It is the ones, the unsung heroes, the ones like Stephen, that to me are the most people in God’s plan.
Without Stephen’s witness, we would not have a Paul, without Esther’s small act of obedience; the nation of Israel would not be here today! If it wasn’t for a suit tailor named J D Prevatt leading a young boy to Christ at the altar, we would not have had a preacher by the name of Billy Graham.
You think because you are not leading thousands, singing to millions, working in some big time ministry that you are not important, WRONG!
It is the Stephens, the J D Prevatts, the people that obey God’s call on their life, that we may never know down here, that produces the greatest warriors, the powerful ministries. And without these people, these ministries and these warriors for God would have never been born! No man or woman lives and dies unto their self; you effect a change in people all around you, even when you don’t know it. One of the greatest things I love about Jesus’ kingdom is this; one person CAN make a difference!
The reason you are fought by the enemy, the reason strange and hard trials happen to you, is because Satan knows you can make a difference in this world.
He knows if you get this in your heart, you would be a danger to the kingdom of Hell. I encourage you, lift up your head and raise your hands in worship to God! You, and what you can do for God, are important! Your obedience might be the reason the next Billy Graham or Apostle Paul rises up! It doesn’t matter that everybody doesn’t know your name, the God of heaven does. And he has trusted you with his greatest, most important work! Every time you witness, pray, fast and obey God YOU make a difference! Be encouraged child of God, he loves you, and you are important. You don’t even know how much you are!
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